College stereotypes are a largely unspoken, yet ubiquitous feature of Cambridge life. Most colleges have their own distinct image, moulded by a combination of factors including architecture, student demographics, and location. While they may seem light-hearted and jocular, college stereotypes are so ingrained in Cambridge’s cultural tapestry that they often indirectly shape perspectives, inter-college relations, and even application decision-making. Even prospective applicants may be deterred from applying to certain colleges due to reputations of being too ‘posh’, ‘academically intense’ or ‘isolated’, to name just a few.

Daisy, a third year Trinity student, describes how “people assume that you’re a certain type of person because you go to Trinity”. According to Daisy, there are “two strands to [Trinity’s] college stereotype – the posh, conservative male one, and the academically intense Trinmos.” Because of these reductive views about the college, “people implicitly assume you’ve either had a bad time at Trinity because you don’t fit the stereotype, or they assume you’re basically not very nice.”

“You can be from any background and have a wide range of interests and still fit in the college community”

Students who go to all-girls colleges also describe being subject to stereotyping. Anna, a second year Newnham student, identified a sexist belief that “all women’s environments are more cliquey and have more friendship issues”. According to first year Murray Edwards student Elise, parallels are often drawn between the stereotypical “all-girls school” environment and the female-only Cambridge colleges, which mean that “people assume I don’t enjoy studying there”. In fact, her experience has been quite the opposite: she “really appreciates” the all-girls environment, particularly since her Engineering course is only approximately 25% female. Contrary to popular belief, she explained: “We are all super supportive of each other.” There certainly seems to be a disparity between the real experience of students from within the college, and the perspective of an outsider.

Moreover, students at the ‘faraway’ colleges don’t feel as isolated as people perceive them to be. Mason, a first year Homerton student, recalled someone sarcastically asking “do you even live in civilisation?” – all because he lives in the “outback of Cambridge”. The nearly two-mile trek to Homerton from the town centre has given it a reputation of being out of touch and alienated from the Cambridge community. Yet for Mason, the ease of access into town and the warm, friendly college ecosystem mean that he feels far from marginalised.

This suggests that college stereotypes, while sometimes truthful and entertaining, can problematically homogenise a diverse student body. As a first year student at St John’s told me: “there is a lot more diversity to the college than the main stereotypes. There are a range of people and groups that you can feel part of.” The college system is certainly not one-size-fits-all, yet stereotypes create this assumption. The fresher goes on to argue: “You can be from any background and have a wide range of interests and still fit in the college community”.

Stereotyping also influences inter-college relations. Another first year Homerton student told me that knowing what college someone goes to “helps you interact with somebody, and helps you measure what to say,” highlighting the way stereotypes even shape our social lives. But making judgments about individuals based on their college can act as a barrier to real connection and heighten divisions between colleges. Daisy stressed that it’s important to “see the complexity underneath the people who superficially align with the stereotype,” which “allowed me to reflect on my own biases and preconceptions”.

“People assume I don’t enjoy studying there”

While Cambridge students are very aware of college stereotypes, social media and websites such as The Student Room act as platforms that extend their reach as far as prospective applicants. Student helpers on open days have noticed that prospective students ask questions addressing college stereotypes. Anna, who helps out at Newnham College’s open days, told me: “There is a lot of emphasis trying not to make other colleges seem negative.” She explained that helpers are expected to refrain from perpetuating any stereotypes, particularly since applicants who may be pooled to another college could be deterred from taking their place.

Applications to colleges based on a candidate’s perceived compatibility with the college’s stereotype can create a self-fulfilling cycle that then further entrenches said stereotypes. Anna argued: “If people think Trinity is really posh, more people from private schools will go there,” which stifles attempts to tackle demographic issues. Isobel, a first year at Sidney Sussex, similarly claimed: “you automatically feel at a disadvantage” in your application if you don’t match the college stereotype, “when actually all the colleges are very similar”.

This raises the question of whether colleges should more actively demystify these stereotypes with potential applicants to remove any concerns, and assist in making individual colleges microcosms of the diverse student body. Daisy argued: “Cambridge outreach needs to do more. We should try to acknowledge the existence of stereotypes, send a message that they do exist and that there is some truth in them, but it should not shape where you apply”.

Though college stereotypes may not appear to have an overt influence on Cambridge life, they have a certain omnipresence within the Cambridge community. They affect everything from our relationships with one another to the colleges we chose in the first place. Perhaps rather than fuelling this cycle of stereotyping, we should put our preconceived judgements to one side and embrace the individualism that is so important to university life.